IS IT REALLY THE END?
by SJ-23
Summary: Basically Ten yeats after Jonas leaves and meets a new family.MY FIRST FIC!


He heard people singing.  
  
"Do you hear that Gab?" whispered Jonas. Jonas looks around and sees a house with lights on and with the sound of people singing. "Do you think that that family will let us come in and get warm?"  
  
Jonas got off the sled and made his way towards the house. Every step felt like eternity. As he made his way up to the house, the door opened and revealed a young lady with a curious look on her face.  
  
"Who are you and what are you doing out in the cold with no warm clothes on?" asked the women.  
  
"We're sorry for interrupting your night m' am, but would it be ok if we came in to get some food and perhaps some warm clothes?" He asked revealing Gab. "Once we are warm we will be on our way."  
  
"Yes, yes come in, you poor thing," said the women. "My name is Jane Johnson," she said as she was closing the door.  
  
Jonas slowly took off his shoes and followed Jane into the living room where there was a nice warm fire going with an older man and two children. One was a boy about the age of Jonas and a little girl a year younger.  
  
"This is my husband Greg," said Jane pointing to the older man "and that is Wyatt and Melinda," she said pointing to the children. "Guys this is...umm.... sorry I didn't get your name."  
  
"My name is Jonas and this is my little brother Gab. Short for Gabriel." Replied Jonas.  
  
"Greg could you be a dear and get some warm clothes for these two boys and Melinda could you get some food please? Wyatt could you put more wood in the fireplace please?" asked Jane.  
  
"Yes" they all replied in union.  
  
Once they everything was finished, they sat around the fire eating the snacks that Melinda had gotten.  
  
"So Jonas were are you from?" asked Greg.  
  
"Well it is a little hard to explain and it is a long story." He said  
  
"Well you are welcome to stay as long as you like Jonas." Said Greg. "We have plenty of time to hear your story if you would like to tell us.  
  
"Thank you, you are very kind," said Jonas.  
  
Jonas spent the next couple hours explain why he was there to the family and what his community is like.  
  
10 Years later.  
  
Jonas is still living with the Johnson's and is now 22 and Gab is now 10. Jonas is now in college and Gab is in grade 4.  
  
He has become good friends with Wyatt and Melinda. Also took to Jane and Greg as a mother and father. Jonas as told Gab about the life before they came to the house. He explained was release was and that his father was going to do that and he could allow it.  
  
At the family diner Jonas announced that he was going to go beck to his old community for a brief visit.  
  
"Jane? Greg? I think that I am going to go and visit my old community to see how everything turned out if that is ok with you?" asked Jonas.  
  
"Yes it is Jonas as long as you are back before school starts," said Greg.  
  
"Can I go with him PLEASE?" asked Gab.  
  
"If it is all right with Jonas, but you have to behave Gab," replied Jane  
  
"Of course you can come Gab, it wouldn't be fun with out you" said Jonas " We leave tomorrow. Be ready"  
  
Gab jumped up and ran up the stairs to his room to pack some clothes.  
  
The next day Greg, Jane, Wyatt and Melinda were all waving good-bye to Jonas and Gab as they were leaving.  
  
A week later  
  
A week later Jonas and Gab arrived in the community and see that everything is different. The first person they saw was Fiona.  
  
Jonas noticed that she glanced at them. She passed for a moment and started to make her way towards them.  
  
"Hello, I'm Fiona, I you look familiar. What's your name?" she asked  
  
"I'm Jonas is this is my brother Gab" replied Jonas.  
  
Fiona stood there wide-eyed looking at Jonas like he was an alien. She screamed and jumped into the arms of Jonas. Jonas has a happy smile that showed relief that he would be accepted back to the community.  
  
"Fiona, I want to go find my father and explain to him why I left," said Jonas.  
  
The three left to look for Jonas's father. They walked around the community and Jonas noticed that they were walking to his old house.  
  
"Fiona, what a lovely surprise to see you here" said father. He notices that Fiona is with two guys. One looked like Jonas. "Jonas, is that you?"  
  
"Yes father it is," replied Jonas. "And this is Gab father. You know the one you almost killed"  
  
"I didn't want to it Jonas. It was my job," said father  
  
"It doesn't matter, it was in the past we can all move on and be happy. Because I am living and well," said Gab getting annoyed.  
  
Jonas and father hugged for a brief moment and father showed Gab around the house, while Fiona and Jonas went for a walk to talk in private for a moment.  
  
Jonas and Fiona walk to the river and sat down by a tree.  
  
"Jonas you know when you left, well everybody went crazy," said Fiona. "Why would you do that to us. You knew that it would be difficult stand all them memories".  
  
"I left because I couldn't live like that anymore. You don't understand what is like to have ALL of those memories and can't talk to anyone about it. And can't have relief of pain," said Jonas in his defense. "That one- day, when you guys where playing that game. It tore me apart because of this one memory I got. I couldn't bare to watch you play that knowing that people used to suffer."  
  
"I understand, that is a memory that came to me." Said Fiona.  
  
There was a moment of silence between the two.  
  
"So...has anything changed? It was that point of me leaving. So things could change. The giver and I decided this because nether of us could know all this wisdom and people only knowing what they were told." He said. "It was too painful."  
  
"There are a lot of things that have changed Jonas. Like there is no more community of Elders. We get to make our own choices. We have food in the house. It's like elsewhere. Its like we are a new community," she said.  
  
"That is what we wanted to do. We wanted everyone to make his or her own decisions. We even discussed what were to happen if they were to make a wrong decision." He said.  
  
There were a couple of uneasy moments.  
  
"So how long are you going to be staying?" asked Fiona.  
  
"Not long. I have to get back before school starts." He replied.  
  
"Oh. Well when will that be?"  
  
"In a week." Jonas said sadly.  
  
"What have you done since you left?"  
  
"Well Gab and I have been living with the Johnson's family. They are great." Said Jonas.  
  
Jonas and Fiona just sat there for another hour just talking. Jonas told Fiona everything that happened when he left. Including his journey. They talk about old times and Fiona told him about Asher and everybody else in the community. She told him what the giver did once everybody was ok with the memories. Jonas was taken aback with this information. Fiona had said that nobody knew why he did what he did. Then Jonas got a little smile on his face knowing he is the only one who knew the real reason why the giver applied for release. They still had release until the giver died and they got all the memories. Then the way they lived changed completely, for the better.  
  
As they were talking Jonas noticed that there was two people who looked exactly the same. He realized that they were twins.  
  
"I take it that they don't kill the one twin anymore?" Jonas said more as a statement then a question.  
  
"Yea." Replied Fiona. "Once you and the giver were gone the realized what they were doing. Ever since then, they have stopped release and everybody lives together.  
  
"That's good," he said. "Are people aloud to leave with out asking?  
  
"Yes! Why do you want to know Jonas?"  
  
"Well I just thought that maybe you would like to come back with me and Gab," he asked not sure what she would say.  
  
Once asked Fiona just sat there in shock not knowing what to say. Sure she would love to go. But would the people accept her, and what about her job and friends. She can't just leave them.  
  
"I.... I don't know Jonas. I mean I would love to go but..."  
  
"You can't leave your friends and family. I know I felt the same way." He said a little disappointed.  
  
They decided to go back to Jonas's house, considering the fact that he hasn't seen his mother or Lily in a while. As they were walking back, they hadn't noticed that they were close to each other. Next thing they new they were holding hands. Its almost like they liked each other for a while know. But at the time Jonas liked Fiona, she didn't know what love meant. Jonas remembered that at that time he had stopped taking his pills. And ever since then he would always dream about her.  
  
After what seemed like forever, they finally reached his house. Jonas and Fiona stood out side the door hesitating to go in, but his mother beat him to the punch, considering she almost ran into them coming out to greet them.  
  
"Jonas, it is so nice to see you again," said his mother running to hug him. "I've missed you so much."  
  
"So did I mother, so did I", replied Jonas with happy tears streaming down his face.  
  
After that brief reunion they made there into the house and sat in the living room to catch up with each other. His father had already informed him that Gab has told them about Jane and Greg and there two kids. What they were like and how wonderful they are.  
  
As they were talking they heard a knock at the door. Jonas's mother looked at the time and excused herself from the group. His father explained that they are being taught how to cook. They go every other day, from female to male to learn. Jonas thought that is was a great idea.  
  
After about an hour, mother came back announcing that super was ready, and all six of them sat at the table.  
  
Once at the table mother introduced Jonas and Gab to Elizabeth.  
  
"Jonas, Gab this is Elizabeth." Said mother. "Elizabeth this is my son Jonas and his friend Gabriel."  
  
"Hello" said Jonas and Gab in unison.  
  
"Just for the record, I think of Gab as a brother," said Jonas to affirm to everybody knew how he felt about Gab.  
  
They all got to know Elizabeth while they were eating and complimented mother on how delicious the food was.  
  
After super they were all in the living room once again. Elizabeth had gone home to be with her own family.  
  
They just sat and talked about the changes in the community and how they understood the reasons why he left and took Gab with him. They explained once they received all the memories that they could not believe the way they were living and wanted to change it right away. The first thing that they started with was the release. No one was aloud to apply. Didn't matter how old or sick you were. If you were to be sick there was still the relief of pain. They got ride of the pills that stopped the "stirrings", because now they had there own children. There are no more birth mothers.  
  
After a while, they all retired to bed for the night. Jonas got his old room and they set up another bed for Gab.  
  
During the night Jonas dreamed a dream that he hadn't gotten for a while.  
  
Dream  
  
Jonas was riding his father's bike along the river with Gab in the backset. He went to cross the bridge but hit a bump and fall over. He notices that Gab was not properly strapped in and fell into the river. "GAB" screamed Jonas. With fear rising in his eyes, he jumped into the river after him knowing he is a pretty good swimmer. He seen Gab bobbing up and down and finally doesn't see him come back up. He swam as fast as he could to the place where he last saw Gab, and forced his eyes to stay open, and swam under water to look for him. He searched for hours not being able to find him. Jonas swam back to the bridge and got on the bike and continued on his way to elsewhere. With tears streaming down his face, knowing that he has to go, because if he does not they will find him. He will not get another chance to get to elsewhere. He made a promise to himself that he would always come back to morn Gabriel every year. If he couldn't make it he would morn over him anyway.  
  
End dream  
  
Jonas woke up in a cold sweat and looked towards Gab to make sure he was still there.  
  
Jonas noticed that Gab was still asleep so he got up quietly. He stepped over him and made his way to the washroom.  
  
When he got there he left the door open just a bit with out realizing it. He turned on the water and splashed his face with some cold water.  
  
"I hadn't had that dream since we got to Jane's house" Jonas said tiredly.  
  
While Jonas was in that bathroom Gab woke up to the noise of the faucet. He looked over to the bed of Jonas and seen that he was not in it and assumed he was in the bathroom.  
  
Gab heard the faucet shut off and heard foot steps to follow. Once realizing that the bathroom isn't that far from the room he quickly lied back down and shut his eyes to make it look like he was sleeping.  
  
Jonas walked in and seen that Gab was still asleep. So he quietly walked back over to his bad and went back to sleep.  
  
"Don't know what I would do with out you Gab" Jonas whispered before he fell back to sleep.  
  
When Gab heard that he felt tears well up in his eyes knowing what Jonas went through to prevent him from being killed. He soon fell asleep thinking how much he cared for Jonas.  
  
Jonas woke up yet again, but this time to the sweet aroma of bacon and eggs. He got up thinking that he was not the only one up. But when he looked at Gab he saw that he was still sound a sleep and didn't show any sighs of getting up anytime soon.  
  
Jonas made his way to the kitchen were he was greeted by mother, father and Lily.  
  
"Where's Gab?" asked father.  
  
"Still sleeping", replied Jonas yawning.  
  
About five minutes later everybody at the breakfast table heard the pitter- patter of feet coming down the hall towards the kitchen. A couple seconds later they seen Gab appear in the doorway.  
  
"Well look who we have here", said Jonas jokingly. "Didn't think that you would be joining us this morning"  
  
"Ha very funny", Gab said. "Don't you think that joke is getting a little old? I mean you say it what? Every time I don't have school"  
  
"Sorry if it bothers you that much I can stop" Jonas said.  
  
"I don't care, not like I listen most the time anyway," Gab said with a little chuckle.  
  
After breakfast Jonas made his way to Fiona's house so they could talk a little more. It took him about two minutes to walk to her dwelling. When Fiona came out they hugged for a brief moment and went on their way for their walk.  
  
"You know on my way to get you I was thinking how short it is to walk to your dwelling. Then I said to myself, after ten years of being away I can't let go of the fact that I call houses dwelling", Jonas said  
  
"Its ok, it can be a hard habit to break" she replied.  
  
They walked in silence holding hands for about five minutes, when they realized that they made their way to the annex.  
  
"It's been a while since I was here," said Fiona.  
  
"I know, it's been ten years for me. This is the last place I seen the giver. He was like a father to me, cause I could go to him with my feelings cause he understood them. And it was forbidden for me to talk about it with my parents. I'll never forget him."  
  
They just stood there for a while looking at the old annex that was falling apart because nobody used it anymore and they didn't need a receiver of memories anymore.  
  
"I wonder what happened to all the books that was in there," said Jonas with curiosity "There was like 1000 of them".  
  
"Let's go in", said Fiona excited.  
  
They walk in and Jonas went to the receptionist desk and presses the button that unlocked the door. They walk in slowly not sure what they will find.  
  
Jonas looks around and sat on the bed were he used to get the memories from and notices a letter addressed to him. He opens it slowly not sure what he is going to read.  
  
Dear Jonas,  
  
If you are reading this letter that means that my suspicions were correct. If I know you the way I think I do then you couldn't keep a promise and come back to the community. How did I know that you would come back? Well I would observe you once and a while after our training, and I noticed that you tried to give the memory of color to Asher. I know it did not work cause you had to put your hand on his bask. You probably figured that out with Gab. Don't think that no one would find out how you got him to sleep. Have you forgotten about all the wisdom that I have? When you went back home from your night in the annex, there was a meeting with the Elders concerning Gabriel. He was sleeping through the night fine until you went away for a night. When he was at the nurturing center and would not sleep, it could only be for one reason and one reason only. You must have transmitted him a memory by accident. By the looks of the situation I came to the conclusion that that's what you were doing. You are probably with Fiona at the moment considering that is the person you liked most. I know that you didn't take you pills. And if you came back it would be for her. I wish you all the luck with her and your new life. Hope what we did made changes for the better like we had hopped. I will always be with you in your memories.  
  
Sincerely  
  
The Giver  
  
Jonas looked up with tears in his eyes and put the letter in his pocket.  
  
"What's that matter Jonas?" asked Fiona with a worried look on her face.  
  
"Nothing", replied Jonas wiping the tears away with his sleeve.  
  
Jonas got up and went to Fiona to look at all the books that were still on the shelves collecting dust. They looked at most of the books that were there and decided that it was time to leave. Jonas took one last look before he shut the door and made sure that it was locked so no one could enter.  
  
Jonas and Fiona walked around a little while longer just enjoying each other's presents.  
  
"Jonas, I've been thinking lately and I think that I want to go with you when you leave"  
  
"Really?" asked Jonas with hope in his eyes.  
  
"Yup", said Fiona with a huge smile on her face.  
  
While they were talking about this they were standing under a tree and before they knew it they kissed. They broke apart both of them blushing from their actions.  
  
A couple days later Gab and Jonas were packing to get ready to leave to go back home  
  
When Jonas was putting his stuff back in his suitcase he seen this small black box in a pocket and took it out. He looked around to make sure no one was in the room and opened it. In it was a diamond ring. Once he saw it he remembers whom it is for.  
  
"My one and only Fiona" he whispered to himself.  
  
"What was that," asked Gab as he walked into the room to get his stuff.  
  
"Nothing", Jonas said quickly and shut the box and put it back in his suitcase.  
  
"I think I will give it to her when we get back to Jane's house," Jonas said in his mind.  
  
They said goodbye to everyone and made their way out of the community. For Fiona it was her first time leaving. But for Jonas and Gab it is there second time even though Gab doesn't remember the first time he left.  
  
All their family and friends were standing at the bridge waving good-bye to them as they watch Fiona and Jonas walk hand in hand and Gab at their side. 


End file.
